Workout
by Paralax
Summary: With Korra away for two months, Asami takes the time to craft a surprise for the Avatar's return. Rated M for unlimited noodles, motivational speeches, and a dash of korrasami smut.


Asami stepped out of the shower. Steam radiated from her body as she reached for her towel.

"Hang on, I've got it," said a muffled voice behind her. The loose water on her skin and hair pulled away from her body.

Asami turned to find a fully dressed Korra standing at one of sinks, one hand holding a glob of water, and the other holding a toothbrush. Korra spat out the toothpaste and rinsed her mouth with the water from her other hand. "Isn't that water a little soapy?" Asami asked, slipping on her underwear and grabbing a smaller towel to begin the process of styling her hair.

Korra shook her head, using the rest of the water to wet her own hair. "Not at all. Bending in general can only affect the element you're trying to bend. So waterbending can only move water. I can do this," She pulled some of the water out of her hair, "And I get only water." She formed the water into a ball and held it up to Asami. "Try some".

Asami drank a little. Pure water. "Huh. That's pretty handy." Asami slipped on a bra and panties. She posed like a model she saw at a fashion show a couple weeks ago. "How do I look?"

Korra walked up to Asami and kissed her on the cheek. "Beautiful as always." She looked down, then smiled. "Looks like someone's been enjoying the Noodle Shop a little too much, though."

"What do you mean?"

Korra grabbed Asami's belly, then turned both of them to the mirror. "This wasn't here when we first started dating," she said, playfully moving the handful of belly she had in her hands around.

Asami blushed. "I- I've been super busy at work lately."

"Uh-huh," Korra's hands moved up Asami's torso before resting on her chest. "I guess it's not all bad though. You're catching up to me over here," she said, squeezing.

Asami batted Korra's hands away. "Hey now, playtime's later."

Korra kissed her on the cheek. "Good. I'm at Air Temple Island all day. Tenzin needs help with diplomatic stuff. Am I having dinner at your place tonight?"

"Yep. See you-" Asami turned. Korra was already out the door.

Asami looked back into the mirror. She grabbed part of her belly and frowned.

* * *

><p>Bolin looked down at the menu. "Ooh, unlimited Southern Water Tribe noodles as a lunch special? Asami, you should get that. That'll make Korra's day."<p>

"Nah, I think I'm settling on a salad."

"Booooo," Bolin said from behind his menu. "You're coming to Narook's, self-proclaimed King of Noodles, and getting a _salad_. That's... That's blasphemous!"

Asami laughed. "I just want a salad today, Bolin."

"Ohhhh, I see," Bolin winked.

Asami raised an eyebrow. "What do you see, Bolin?"

"Someone's watching what they eat now," he said teasingly.

Asami blushed a little. "Oh, don't worry about it," Bolin said, waving his hand. "I understand."

Their waiter came by. Bolin and Asami ordered - an Unlimited Southern Noddle pass for him, a small salad for her. "What do you mean?"

"What? Oh. I just mean that it makes sense that you're keeping fit for Korra."

"Who said I'm doing it for Korra?"

"Asami, have you _seen_ Korra? She's one of the most physically fit people I've ever met. If I were dating her I wouldn't let myself be anything less than my chiseled self."

Asami rolled her eyes. "Sure, Bolin, but it's not that easy - I've had to delegate a lot of work at Future and so I'm at my desk all day doing paperwork and taking meetings. I wasn't paying attention, and, well," she gestured to the salad that had just been set out in front of her.

Bolin picked up his chopsticks and attacked his first bowl of noodles. "I know what you mean," he said between mouthfuls. "Well, sort of. Varrick wants me to do a couple short movers as Nuktuk, to see if the idea of a Nuktuk-like characters makes sense now that there isn't a war going on. So I need to get back in shape."

Asami eyed Bolin. "Are you not already?"

Bolin shook his head. "Nope. I was in Nuktuk shape when I was a probender. I actually softened up a bit when I was under Kuvira, and the transitioning work for the Earth Kingdom isn't as physically demanding as I'd like it to be. So Varrick managed to get me a couple months off and is basically paying me to work out until I get back into shape."

"Sounds like a pretty good deal."

"Yeah, it's alright. It's reminded me a bunch of the old probending days. I wish Mako were here to train with me."

"He's still in the Earth Kingdom helping King Wu, right?"

Bolin nodded, taking a second bowl from the waiter. "Yeah, he's gonna be gone for a few more weeks. Then Lin wants him back on the force."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Asami tried very hard to focus on her salad and not the delicious smells coming from Bolin's bowl. Dating Korra had given Asami a taste for Southern Water Tribe cuisine, though the food was extremely dense in calories and probably part of the reason why Asami was stuck with her salad in the first place.

"Hey," Bolin said, breaking the silence. "You should train with me."

"With you? I don't know anything about Earthbending."

"No, I'll be doing a lot of boxing and weight training as well. That sort of stuff is exactly what you need, right?" He pointed at Asami with his chopsticks. "Plus, Korra's leaving for the Northern Air Temple next week to help with the restoration efforts, right?"

Asami nodded, though she had been avoiding thinking about that. She could tell that Korra loved being in Republic City, but she was itching to get out and help abroad.

"So," Bolin continued, taking a third bowl of noodles. "Train with me. I train better with a partner, and we can help each other reach our goals. Then, Korra comes back and you have something to impress her with."

Asami thought it over. "That's a fantastic idea," she said, "When's your next session?"

* * *

><p>Asami hugged Korra tightly. "I'm gonna miss you so much," she said into the Avatar's hair.<p>

"It's only gonna be seven weeks," Korra said, picking up her bags. "I'll be back before you know it. Don't get into too much trouble," she tickled Asami's belly. "Both of you," she teased, winking.

Asami playfully punched her in the arm. "Hush, you. You'd better not waste away on Air Nomad cuisine." She squeezed Korra's bicep. "These had better come back with you."

"Oh, they will," Korra said, getting close to Asami's body. "And they're gonna bring friends." Korra kissed her deeply. "Love you, Sato."

Asami waved her off as she got on the ferry to Air Temple Island. She got in her car and pulled out of the parking lot, squinting into the sunrise. Work, then her first workout with Bolin, then a light dinner. Her chef was clear on the diet she was supposed to follow for the next two months. Everything was set up.

Now all that was left to do was to actually follow through.

* * *

><p>The first session was by far the worst.<p>

Asami didn't know what to expect as she walked into the probending arena gym. Her idea of working out was training with a self-defense instructor and going out for runs around the mansion. She wasn't _strong_, but she could hold her own in a fight.

Bolin, on the other hand, was all about strength training. She lifted more in that first day than she probably had in her entire life. To Bolin's credit, he was super helpful in guiding her through the lifts she wasn't familiar with.

"Right now you're a beginner," Bolin said as he helped Asami put her dumbbells back, the sounds echoing in the otherwise empty gym. "Which is good because it's easiest to get stronger when you're a beginner."

Asami nodded, leaning against the dumbbell racks as she caught her breath. "I don't want to get super muscle-y, though."

"That's not going to happen." Bolin drank from a water bottle. "Girls can't gain muscle nearly as fast as guys. You'll get stronger, but not much bigger, not unless you try."

Which was fine with Asami. She didn't want to get big - Korra already satisfied that department well enough. She just wanted to lose the gut and maybe tone up her arms and legs a little. Nothing too extravagant. And she only had two months, anyway.

They ended with a round of boxing. Asami was so exhausted from the workout that she was barely able to put up a fight, and Bolin let her go after a single fight. "You need to rest," he said as he helped her out of the ring. "Drink water and stretch before you go to bed. You're going to be sore either way, but if you stretch you'll at least be able to walk to your car."

"Right, thanks." Asami started the process of walking to the showers. She heard rocks shuffling around behind her - Bolin was probably setting up for the bending part of his workout.

The hot water from the shower was soothing to her muscles. She winced as she tried to shampoo her hair - the soreness was almost unbearable. _This is too much_, she thought to herself, finishing up the shower and drying off. Her arms were shaking as she slipped on her underwear. _I can't keep this up for two months. There's no way-_

Movement caught her eye. There was a large mirror at the far end of the locker room. She caught her reflection in it, seeing how weak and tired and out of shape she looked, how far her belly stuck out and how thin her arms looked.

_Korra doesn't deserve this_ she thought to herself. _I can't stop._ Gritting her teeth, she slipped on her undershirt, grunting against her protesting arms.

Asami Sato wasn't a quitter.

* * *

><p>Asami noticed she was sleeping better by the end of the first week. She had more energy during the day and was more alert even during the most boring of meetings.<p>

Working out stopped being a chore by the end of the second week. It became a part of her routine, something she desired to do. When she finished a workout, she felt a sense of accomplishment, and the mirror was beginning to affirm her progress.

By the third week, she was able to keep up with Bolin during the boxing matches, though she was no match for him during the rest of the workouts.

At the end of the fourth week, Asami needed to buy new shorts, because her old ones had stopped staying up on her hips.

She added on morning runs during the fifth week when she realized her lack of cardio stamina was slowing down her progress.

Mako came back to the city for the sixth week and joined them in their now daily sessions. Asami was addicted to the feeling of working out, and Mako was impressed with the progress she had made so far. "You're really into this," he commented one day after she ended her session.

She nodded, taking a swig of water. "It just feels... good, y'know? Like I'm doing something good for myself."

"Except you're kinda not doing it for yourself, right? That's what Bolin mentioned, anyway."

Asami shrugged. "Maybe at the beginning. But I want to keep doing this after Korra gets back."

Mako smiled. "Good. That's the right attitude. Training for yourself is far more effective than training for something else."

The three of them went out for dinner afterwards, with Mako catching them up on tales from the Earth Kingdom. His and Bolin's family were doing well in their new home, and Wu was making progress with the Earth Nation. Asami had treated herself to a bowl of Southern Water Tribe noodles as her cheat meal for the week, and silently blessed the chef for making something so delicious.

On the last session - the day before Korra was scheduled to come back - she again caught herself in the mirror. She had made more progress than she thought she was going to. _Perfect,_ she thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Korra set down her bag and stretched. The trip back from the Norther Air Temple was long - too long for her liking, even though air bison was faster and more direct than driving - and it felt good to be back in the city. Even though the Air Temple was quiet and relaxing, she missed the hustle and excitement that permeated the Republic.<p>

"Korra!" She turned and saw Asami leaning out of her car at the near end of the parking lot next to the ferry dock. Korra picked up her bag and ran to her. She hopped in the passenger's seat and kissed Asami. "I missed you so much!" Asami said as she started the car.

"I did, too."

"I want to hear everything that happened." Asami looked excited. _She must have big plans for tonight._ Korra's body lit up slightly at the idea of being close to Asami after the forced abstinence of the Air Temple. _Down, girl._

They drove back to the Sato Mansion, where they had dinner and, afterwards, tea by the big fireplace. Korra regaled her with tales of the antics of the Air Nomads. Opal apparently stopped by to visit at one point, and Tenzin was his normal self, which provides plenty of story fodder in itself.

"I need more tea," Asami said, wiping a tear from her eye after a particularly good story involving Meelo and a herd of flying lemurs. "Do you want any more?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Asami stood up and left the room. Korra watch her walk out of the room. There was something different about her. Korra couldn't quite put her finger on it. She was carrying herself differently. More... athletically? No, that wasn't it.

Korra set down her tea cup and followed Asami's path into the kitchen. She had set a pot of water to boil and was reaching for a box of tea leaves in a cupboard above the sink. Korra snuck up behind her and wrapped her arms around Asami's waist.

"Oh hey," she said, leaning back for a kiss. Korra obliged. "You scared me there."

"What, little ol' me? Scare the great Asami Sato?" Korra's hands slid down her waist, grabbing her- abs?

Korra stopped for a moment. _That wasn't there before._ She turned Asami around, kissing her neck, her hands traveling up and down Asami's torso. _Everything feels different._

Asami grabbed Korra's hands. "Here, let me help you with that." She turned off the stove before turning to Korra. Slowly, she took off her shirt, revealing a deep red bra - Asami's favorite - and put her hands on her hips. "Like what you see?" she asked, a little shyly.

Korra's mouth hung open. Gone was the little belly. Gone were the thin arms. Asami wasn't jacked, but she was far more toned than Korra was prepared for. Asami walked up to Korra, pressing her up against the far wall of the kitchen. Moonlight streamed in from the window above them, illuminating Asami's sharp green eyes and the curve of her shoulder.

Asami put Korra's hands on her stomach, now flat with four small rises. "I've been working on these while you were gone," she said, her voice dripping with a mix of pride and lust. "I think they turned out pretty well. What about you?"

Korra was stunned and didn't respond. Asami moved Korra's hands up her sides and around her back. Automatically, Korra undid Asami's bra. Asami braced her arms on the wall, her hands next to Korra's shoulders. She leaned in and kissed the Avatar, letting her hands roam freely. Asami's changed body felt fantastic, and Korra couldn't get enough of the new curves and pockets of muscle.

Suddenly, Asami pulled away. Korra let out a small "No," as Asami's back left her reach.

"Nope," Asami said, "We're moving upstairs first."

Then Asami bent down and _picked Korra up_. And not wedding-style, but a full-on fireman's carry. Korra didn't feel Asami struggle at all as she started up the flight of stairs to her room. This was so different to how things normally went. Normally Korra was the more physically dominant. If Asami challenged Korra at all in bed, Korra would quickly overpower her. But tonight, as Korra was thrown (thrown!) onto Asami's huge bed, she didn't retaliate. She lay there, legs spreading as Asami approached her. She couldn't keep her eyes off of her - every moment Asami made was infused with confidence. Korra didn't want to fight. She wanted to be consumed.

* * *

><p>Afterwards, Korra lay panting on the bed, her eyes focused on the tall ceiling above her. She felt Asami curl up next to her, a kiss just under Korra's jaw. Together, they lay in silence.<p>

"That," Korra said after a while, "was amazing." She turned, finding her eyes drawn again to Asami's stomach. She ran her hand across it, causing Asami to shiver and her muscles to contract. "You did this in two months?"

"Most of it, yeah."

"Why?"

Asami paused for a moment. "At first it was because I knew you wanted it," she said finally, "But after a few weeks I started enjoying it too much."

Korra laughed. "I didn't even know I wanted it," she said, kissing Asami. "But I can't stop looking at it, so I guess you were right. Please continue this in the future."

"Sure thing. And you don't start slipping, either," she said, cupping one of Korra's boobs in her free hand. "I need these."

"Oh? How badly do you need them."

"Not super badly now. It's just sometimes I get hungry and I just-" She leaned over and started sucking on Korra's nipple.

Korra gasped and they once again became a tangle of sheets and ecstasy.


End file.
